Adverse side effects, including agranulocytosis and anemia, from methimazole treatment of a hyperthyroid cat.

A 13-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was brought to a veterinary clinic because of lethargy and anorexia. The cat had a history of hyperthyroidism and had been treated with methimazole for 40 d before the appointment. Hematologic examination revealed a severe non-regenerative anemia and leukopenia characterized by severe neutropenia along with low basophil and eosinophil numbers.

Temperament and executive functioning correlates of ADHD symptom severity during early versus middle childhood.

Background: This study investigated associations among temperament, executive functioning (EF), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom severity at two developmental stages.

Methods: Participants were 61 4-year-old children and 165 8-11-year-old children (126 ADHD, 39 typically developing [TD]). Caregivers reported on temperament (effortful control [EC], negative affect, and surgency), and ADHD symptoms.

EEG aperiodic dynamics from early through late childhood: Associations with ADHD, cognition, and development.

Background: Aperiodic resting electroencephalography (EEG) activity is dynamic, reflecting shifting excitatory:inhibitory (E:I) balance with changing environmental conditions. We examined developmental and cognitive correlates of aperiodic and dynamic aperiodic indices in a cross-sequential cohort of early, middle, and late childhood youth with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods: Two-hundred eighty-five children ages 2 - 14 years provided resting EEG during high- and low-visual input conditions.

Comparison between Liquid and Tablet Formulations in the Treatment of Congenital Hypothyroidism up to 3 Years of Age: The First Italian Study.

: Levothyroxine (L-T4) is available for use in congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in three formulations: tablets, drops, and oral solution. This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of all three L-T4 formulations. : We enrolled 63 children born between January 2019 and April 2023 in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) and diagnosed with CH by newborn screening.

Power Scavenging Microsystem for Smart Contact Lenses.

On-the-eye microsystems such as smart contacts for vision correction, health monitoring, drug delivery, and displaying information represent a new emerging class of low-profile (≤ 1 mm) wireless microsystems that conform to the curvature of the eyeball surface. The implementation of suitable low-profile power sources for eye-based microsystems on curved substrates is a major technical challenge addressed in this paper. The fabrication and characterization of a hybrid energy generation unit composed of a flexible silicon solar cell and eye-blinking activated Mg-O metal-air harvester capable of sustainably supplying electrical power to smart ocular devices are reported.

Refractive-type varifocal liquid-crystal Fresnel lenses for smart contacts.

We demonstrate the implementation of a low-power, low-profile, varifocal liquid-crystal Fresnel lens stack suitable for tunable imaging in smart contact lenses. The lens stack consists of a high-order refractive-type liquid crystal Fresnel chamber, a voltage-controlled twisted nematic cell, a linear polarizer and a fixed offset lens. The lens stack has an aperture of 4 mm and thickness is ∼980 µm.

Fungal identification in peanuts seeds through multispectral images: Technological advances to enhance sanitary quality.

The sanitary quality of seed is essential in agriculture. This is because pathogenic fungi compromise seed physiological quality and prevent the formation of plants in the field, which causes losses to farmers. Multispectral images technologies coupled with machine learning algorithms can optimize the identification of healthy peanut seeds, greatly improving the sanitary quality.

Genetic Predictive Factors for Nonsusceptible Phenotypes and Multidrug Resistance in Expanded-Spectrum Cephalosporin-Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli from a Multicenter Cohort: Insights into the Phenotypic and Genetic Basis of Coresistance.

Antimicrobial resistance in urinary tract infections (UTIs) is a major public health concern. This study aims to characterize the phenotypic and genetic basis of multidrug resistance (MDR) among expanded-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant (ESCR) uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) causing UTIs in California patient populations. Between February and October 2019, 577 ESCR UPEC isolates were collected from patients at 6 clinical laboratory sites across California.

Flexible and Semi-Transparent Silicon Solar Cells as a Power Supply to Smart Contact Lenses.

Supplying electric power to wearable IoT devices, particularly smart contact lenses (SCLs), is one of the main obstacles to widespread adoption and commercialization. In the present study, we have successfully designed, fabricated, and characterized semi-transparent, self-supported, and flexible single crystalline silicon solar cells using a single-sided micromachining procedure. Optical, mechanical, and electrical simulations, together with the practical measurements, verify the application of our developed solar cells to be mounted on a limited-footprint and flexible SCL.

A Reliable Method to Recognize Soybean Seed Maturation Stages Based on Autofluorescence-Spectral Imaging Combined With Machine Learning Algorithms.

In recent years, technological innovations have allowed significant advances in the diagnosis of seed quality. Seeds with superior physiological quality are those with the highest level of physiological maturity and the integration of rapid and precise methods to separate them contributes to better performance in the field. Autofluorescence-spectral imaging is an innovative technique based on fluorescence signals from fluorophores present in seed tissues, which have biological implications for seed quality.

An Approach Using Emerging Optical Technologies and Artificial Intelligence Brings New Markers to Evaluate Peanut Seed Quality.

Seeds of high physiological quality are defined by their superior germination capacity and uniform seedling establishment. Here, it was investigated whether multispectral images combined with machine learning models can efficiently categorize the quality of peanut seedlots. The seed quality from seven lots was assessed traditionally (seed weight, water content, germination, and vigor) and by multispectral images (area, length, width, brightness, chlorophyll fluorescence, anthocyanin, and reflectance: 365 to 970 nm).

Towards Transient Electronics through Heat Triggered Shattering of Off-the-Shelf Electronic Chips.

With most of the critical data being stored in silicon (Si) based electronic devices, there is a need to develop such devices with a transient nature. Here, we have focused on developing a programmable and controllable heat triggered shattering transience mechanism for any off-the-shelf (OTS) Si microchip as a means to develop transient electronics which can then be safely and rapidly disabled on trigger when desired. This transience mechanism is based on irreversible and spontaneous propagation of cracks that are patterned on the back of the OTS chip in the form of grooves and then filled with thermally expandable (TE) material.

Molecular bridge-mediated ultralow-power gas sensing.

We report the electrical detection of captured gases through measurement of the quantum tunneling characteristics of gas-mediated molecular junctions formed across nanogaps. The gas-sensing nanogap device consists of a pair of vertically stacked gold electrodes separated by an insulating 6 nm spacer (~1.5 nm of sputtered α-Si and ~4.

Correcting Presbyopia With Autofocusing Liquid-Lens Eyeglasses.

Objective: Presbyopia, an age-related ocular disorder, is characterized by the loss in the accommodative abilities of the human eye. Conventional methods of correcting presbyopia divide the field of view, thereby resulting in significant vision impairment. We demonstrate the design, assembly and evaluation of autofocusing eyeglasses for restoration of accommodation without dividing the field of view.

Gullies and Moraines Are Islands of Biodiversity in an Arid, Mountain Landscape, Asgard Range, Antarctica.

Cold, dry, and nutrient-poor, the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are among the most extreme terrestrial environments on Earth. Numerous studies have described microbial communities of low elevation soils and streams below glaciers, while less is known about microbial communities in higher elevation soils above glaciers. We characterized microbial life in four landscape features (habitats) of a mountain in Taylor Valley.

Nanostructures for Biosensing, with a Brief Overview on Cancer Detection, IoT, and the Role of Machine Learning in Smart Biosensors.

Biosensors are essential tools which have been traditionally used to monitor environmental pollution and detect the presence of toxic elements and biohazardous bacteria or virus in organic matter and biomolecules for clinical diagnostics. In the last couple of decades, the scientific community has witnessed their widespread application in the fields of military, health care, industrial process control, environmental monitoring, food-quality control, and microbiology. Biosensor technology has greatly evolved from in vitro studies based on the biosensing ability of organic beings to the highly sophisticated world of nanofabrication-enabled miniaturized biosensors.

Low-Profile Induced-Voltage Distance Ranger for Smart Contact Lenses.

Objective: In this paper, we present a novel, low-profile, scleral-coil based, distance ranging system which is suitable for smart, accommodating contact lenses.

Methods: We measure the induced emf between a set of four thin semi-circular coils patterned on flexible Kapton substrates that conform to the eyes' sclera. This induced emf is a function of eye gaze angles.

Quantum Tunneling Hygrometer with Temperature Stabilized Nanometer Gap.

We present the design, fabrication and response of a humidity sensor based on electrical tunneling through temperature-stabilized nanometer gaps. The sensor consists of two stacked metal electrodes separated by ~2.5 nm of vertical air gap.

Systems Modeling Approach for Reducing the Risk of Healthcare-Associated Infections.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major cause of concern because of the high levels of associated morbidity, mortality, and cost. In addition, children and intensive care unit (ICU) patients are more vulnerable to these infections due to low levels of immunity. Various medical interventions and statistical process control techniques have been suggested to counter the spread of these infections and aid early detection of an infection outbreak.

Parametrically Amplified Low-Power MEMS Capacitive Humidity Sensor.

We present the design, fabrication, and response of a polymer-based Laterally Amplified Chemo-Mechanical (LACM) humidity sensor based on mechanical leveraging and parametric amplification. The device consists of a sense cantilever asymmetrically patterned with a polymer and flanked by two stationary electrodes on the sides. When exposed to a humidity change, the polymer swells after absorbing the analyte and causes the central cantilever to bend laterally towards one side, causing a change in the measured capacitance.

Creep deformation in elastomeric membranes of liquid-filled tunable-focus lenses.

Liquid-filled tunable-focus lenses have been demonstrated to be suitable for autofocus eyewear applications. Traditionally, these lenses are constructed using an elastomeric polymer chamber filled with a high-index liquid. In this work, we investigate the effect of elastomeric creep on the deformation and eventual degradation of these tunable lenses.

Batch-Fabricated α-Si Assisted Nanogap Tunneling Junctions.

This paper details the design, fabrication, and characterization of highly uniform batch-fabricated sidewall etched vertical nanogap tunneling junctions for bio-sensing applications. The device consists of two vertically stacked gold electrodes separated by a partially etched sacrificial spacer layer of sputtered α-Si and Atomic Layer Deposited (ALD) SiO. A ~10 nm wide air-gap is formed along the sidewall by a controlled dry etch of the spacer.

Low-Cost High-Speed In-Plane Stroboscopic Micro-Motion Analyzer.

Instrumentation for high-speed imaging and laser vibrometry is essential for the understanding and analysis of microstructure dynamics, but commercial instruments are largely unaffordable for most microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) laboratories. We present the implementation of a very low cost in-plane micro motion stroboscopic analyzer that can be directly attached to a conventional probe station. The low-cost analyzer has been used to characterize the harmonic motion of 52.